Echinacea plant named ‘Tweety’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of hybrid  Echinacea  named ‘Tweety’ characterized by its very compact plant habit, its inflorescences with ray florets that are orange-yellow in color and elliptic in shape surrounding bright orange disk florets, and its strong flowering stems.

Botanical classification: Echinacea hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘Tweety’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofEchinacea of hybrid origin and will be referred to hereafter by itscultivar name ‘Tweety’. ‘Tweety’ is an herbaceous perennial grown forlandscape and container use.

The new invention arose from an ongoing controlled breeding program inWoerden, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is todevelop cultivars of Echinacea with unique flowers and compact planthabits.

The Inventor made controlled crosses in summer of 2011 in his testgarden between unnamed and unpatented proprietary seedlings with compactplant habits as both the female and male parents. The seeds were pooledfrom the crosses before sowing and the exact parents are unknown.‘Tweety’ was selected in summer of 2012 as a single unique plant amongstthe resulting seedlings from the above crosses.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished bydivision in Woerden, The Netherlands in 2012 by the Inventor. Asexualpropagation by tissue culture using meristem tissue and division hasdetermined that the characteristics of the new cultivar are stable andare reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent thecharacteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes in combinationdistinguish ‘Tweety’ as unique cultivar of Echinacea.

-   1. ‘Tweety’ exhibits a very compact plant habit.-   2. ‘Tweety’ exhibits inflorescences with ray florets that are    orange-yellow in color and elliptic in shape surrounding orange disc    florets.-   3. ‘Tweety’ exhibits strong flowering stems.

‘Tweety’ can be most closely compared to the Echinacea cultivars ‘DixieStar’, (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 26,160) and ‘Chiquita’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No.24,505). Both ‘Dixie Star’ and ‘Chiquita’ are similar to ‘Tweety’ inhaving compact plant habits. ‘Dixie Star’ differs from ‘Tweety’ inhaving a less compact plant habit and in having inflorescences with rayflorets that open orange-yellow and change to yellow. ‘Chiquita’ differsfrom ‘Tweety’ in having a less compact plant habit and in havinginflorescences with ray florets that are pale yellow in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of the new Echinacea. The photographs weretaken of six month-old plants of the new cultivar as field grown inWoerden, The Netherlands (placed in a 21-cm container for thephotographs).

The photograph in FIG. 1 illustrates the overall habit and appearance of‘Tweety’ in bloom.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of the inflorescencesof ‘Tweety’.

The photograph in FIG. 3 provides a close-up view of a leaf of ‘Tweety’.

The colors in the photographs are as close as possible with thephotographic and printing technology utilized and color values cited inthe detailed botanical description accurately describe the colors of thenew Echinacea.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of six month-old plants of thenew cultivar as field grown in Woerden, The Netherlands. The phenotypeof the new cultivar may vary with variations in environmental, climatic,and cultural conditions, as it has not been tested under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The color determination is in accordance withThe 2015 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London,England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   General description:    -   -   Blooming period.—Blooms from early July to late September,            in Woerden, The Netherlands.        -   Plant type.—Herbaceous perennial.        -   Plant habit.—Very compact, broad upright.        -   Height and spread.—An average of 21.6 cm (including            inflorescences) and an average of 31 cm in spread.        -   Cold hardiness.—U.S.D.A Zones 3 to 10.        -   Diseases resistance.—Similar susceptibility and resistance            to diseases and pests as other Echinacea varieties.        -   Root description.—Fibrous and fine, 158D in color.        -   Propagation.—Tissue culture using meristem tissue and            division.        -   Growth rate.—Moderate.        -   Root development.—A young rooted plant can be produced in            about 3 months.-   Stem description:    -   -   Shape.—Rounded.        -   Stem color.—Young branches; 143C, mature branches; 143A.        -   Stem size.—An average of 10 cm in length, 4 mm in diameter.        -   Stem strength.—Strong.        -   Stem aspect.—Primary branches grow in an average angle of 5°            to vertical stems (0°=horizontal), secondary branches grow            in an average angle of 30° to primary branches.        -   Stem surface.—Moderately glossy and moderately rough to            touch, densely covered with short strigose hairs average of            0.5 mm in length and NN155A in color.        -   Stem number.—Average of 4 primary branches and 1 secondary            branch per main branch.        -   Internode length.—Average of 2.6 cm in length, 143A in            color.        -   Branching.—Main flowering stem grows from base.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf shape.—Ovate to narrow ovate.        -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf base.—Attenuate to short attenuate.        -   Leaf apex.—Acute.        -   Leaf venation.—Pinnate, upper and lower surface 145A in            color.        -   Leaf margins.—Entire to shallowly dentate.        -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Alternate.        -   Leaf size.—Average of 12.8 cm in length and 4.4 cm in width.        -   Leaf color.—Young upper surface; 137B to 137C, young lower            surface; between 137C and 138A, mature upper surface;            NN137A, mature lower surface; NN137C to NN137D.        -   Leaf surface.—Upper and lower surfaces are matte, rough to            the touch due to pubescence and densely covered with short            strigose hairs an average of 0.5 mm in length and NN155A in            color.        -   Petioles.—U-shaped, 4 cm in length and 3 mm in diameter,            color upper surface 144B to 144C, color lower surface 144B,            both surfaces glossy and covered with short strigose hairs;            an average length is 0.3 mm and NN155B in color.-   Flower description:    -   -   Type.—Terminal capitulum consisting of ray florets and disc            florets.        -   Capitulum number.—An average of 1 per stem, 9 per plant.        -   Lastingness of inflorescence.—Average of 2 weeks, ray            florets self-cleaning.        -   Capitulum size.—Matures to about 2.7 cm in height and 7.6 cm            in diameter, disc diameter is an average of 3.2 cm and disc            height is an average of 6 mm.        -   Fragrance.—Slightly to moderately fragrant and pleasant.        -   Involucral bracts or phyllary.—Rotate, 70 arranged in 3            overlapping rows, average of 7 mm in length and 3 mm in            width, broad cuneate base, acute apex, ovate in shape, color            upper surface NN137A, color lower surface NN137B, upper            surface texture; glabrous and slightly glossy, lower surface            texture; matte and moderately pubescent with very short            strigose hairs an average of 0.3 mm in length and NN155A in            color, margins are entire and moderately pubescent with very            short strigose hairs, an average of 0.3 mm in length and            NN155A in color.        -   Buds.—Inverted triangle in shape, an average of 1.8 cm in            length and 2.6 cm in diameter, 8C in color, matte surface            texture.        -   Peduncle.—Strong, terminal is an average of 7.1 cm in            length, 4 mm in diameter, upright aspect, 143A in color,            surface is moderately glossy and densely covered with short            strigose hairs, 0.5 mm in length and NN155A in color.        -   Ray florets.—Rotate around disc in 1 row, average of 22 per            inflorescence, elliptic in shape, average of 3 cm in length            and 1.2 cm in width, emarginate to praemorse apex, cuneate            base, entire margin, outward, slightly drooping in an            average angle of −10° downward from horizontal, color; upper            surface when opening 17B to 17C, lower surface when opening            18C, upper surface when fully open 23A, lower surface when            fully open 20D, tip 149A to 149B, upper surface fading to            between 21A and 23A, lower surface fading to 11C, tip 144C,            surface texture; upper surface glabrous, moderately velvety            and matte, lower surface glabrous, slightly velvety and            slightly to moderately glossy.        -   Disc flowers (bisexual).—Numerous, average of 300, arranged            spirally on disc in 12 rows, tubular appearance, upright to            outward aspect, apex is acute on upper 16% that is free,            fused (tubular) base, entire margin, average of 1 cm in            length and 2 mm in width, upper and lower surface textures            are glabrous and glossy, color; when opening upper and lower            surface 143C, mid-section and base 145C, when fully open            upper and lower surface 144A, mid-section and base 145C.        -   Disc spines.—Average of 400, acicular in shape, narrow acute            apex, cuneate base, smooth, glabrous and glossy surface,            color is 17A at apex, 143B in mid region and 145D at base.        -   Receptacle.—Triangular in shape, an average of 6 mm in            height and diameter, and 157D in color.-   Reproductive organs (present on disc florets only):    -   -   Gynoecium.—Pistil; 1, 7 mm in length, style; 5.5 mm in            length and 145C in color, stigma; cleft, decurrent and 151C            to 151D in color, ovary; 145D in color.        -   Androecium.—Stamens; 5, filaments; 3 mm in length and 145D            in color, anthers; narrow oblong in shape, 2.5 mm in length,            0.5 mm in width and N200A to N200B in color, pollen is            moderate in quantity and 17A in color.        -   Fruit/seed.—No seed production has been observed.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Echinacea plant named‘Tweety’ as herein illustrated and described.